The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-25
In A PECK OF TROUBLE.
SODA WATER DEALERS TO START
A COOPERATIVE FACTORY.

They Determine to Resist the Manu-
facturers' Advance in Prices-A Move
to Freeze Out the Old Monopoly
Cheaper Drinks Promised.
The soda water men are in a peck Of
trouble again, and just now they are some
what scared lest they may lose the trade
that has been SO profitable for long time
past.
The soda water makers, who are also the
manufacturers of sarsaparilla, ginger pop
and beverages of similar brew, used to re-
ceive 75c. per box of two dozen, but COM
petitor entered the field. He bought his
plant and started up his work
and pretty soon he had a big
trade His success was mystery for few
days, but the older houses began to investi-
gate him, and they soon found, to their
surprise and dismay, that the new manu-
facturer was undertaking them 25c. box.
They were at a loss to know what to do, but
they put their heads together, and finally
concluded that they would have to meet
the cut.
FREEZING COMPETITION OUT.
Possessing the advantage Of having sup
piled their regular customers for years they,
of course, had no trouble in bringing them
back to their old love and leaving the new
man in the'lurch. The new mans business
waxed poorer and poorer, and when he
thought, good easy man, full surely his
greatness was ripening" he found that his
fortune had been pulled when it was green
and would never ripen. All his newly
found customers deserted him and he had to
close up shop.
AN ADVANCE IN PRICES.
Having succeeded in driving him from
the field the old men let the SOC, rate run on
for while, but published notice yester-
day that on account of the enormous break
age and loss of bottles, they would be forced
to advance the price TO 75c. per box. This
sudden increase in the rate has reused the
liquor dealers and they say they will not
permit it. They point to the new man who
was driven from the field, and say that he
was satisfied with the profit he was making at
50c. box, and they don't see why the old
men cannot be contented with the same
thing. They say the old men killed the new
one, and now having driven competition
out Of the field they will return to the enor-
nous rate that was charged before.
TO KEEP PRICES DOWN.
They propose to take some action to pre-
vent what they deem the imposition of ex-
orbitant rates, and two or three of them
y
the leading saloons and find out whether
there was strong enough opposition to the
increase of rates to assure concerted action.
They were overjoyed at their success.
Finding everything ripe for the movement
they proposed that the saloonkeepers should
operate mutual cooperative soda water
manufacturing works, and by getting 100
or more of the liquor dealers to sign an
agreement to take soda water from none
other than the cooperative factory, secure
the success of the venture before starting
upon it.
TO START A NEW FACTORY.
1t only takes about $1,000 to start fac
tory, and two dealers offered to put up $500
each to set the enterprise going, and now
the effort will be made to get large num-
Der of the smaller dealers to put in $40 each,
and thus by having many interested to in
sure large patronage and the interest that
each would have in the works would make
them more careful of the bottles
The price at which the waters will be sold
will be SOC box of two dozen, and as it
only costs DC. to make all the water that
those two dozen bottles hold the new fac
tory will not only give cheaper supplies to
the retailers, but pay them profit on their
investments. The readiness with which
those who were approached subscribed
makes it more than likely that the game of
freeze-out will begin soon.